Careers & Alumni

2020s

Amanda Kamlet (2020)

Position: Master's Student | Employer: Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, UC Santa Barbara | Location: Santa Barbara, CA

"When I entered college, I knew very little about Geography. Taking Human Geography at HSU turned me to be a Geography major, because geography is so much more than place-name memorization. The environment and professors that make up this program welcome all aspects of learning and are truly an amazing community. Being a part of this program has made me a better student. And it will make me a better educator. I am happy to be an alumna from this department"

2010s

Blenna Kiros (2018)

Position: Cartographer/GIS Analyst | Employer: Southern Region US Forest Service | Location: Virginia

"Take a course in Geography and fall in love! The faculty are as varied and interesting as the classes they teach. I wanted to understand the world in which I lived in and they offered me exactly that! Since graduating, I have been working for the Southern Region of Forest Service as a cartographer/GIS analyst. I am responsible for creating data that identifies different types of lands within the Jefferson National forest. This will serve as a platform for generating habitat protection programs throughout National Recreation areas in Virginia. What I love about this job is my ability to apply the theoretical knowledge I learned from studying geography and the technical skills I have acquired from minoring in GIS."

Mithra Derakshan (2018)

Position: Park Ranger | Employer: National Park Service | Location: Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area, CA

"Since graduating from HSU, I landed my dream job working as a park ranger for the National Park Service at Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area, which is the world’s largest urban park. I help visitors from all over the world understand the unique natural and cultural treasures of the region. I always wanted to work for the Park Service, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without HSU Geography. HSU Geography professors connected me to an internship at Redwood National Park during my first semester, and the skills I learned during this time—endurance, commitment, teamwork—are ones integral to my work today. HSU Geography helped me believe in myself and accomplish my dreams."

Joshua Shindelbower (2018)

Position: GIS Mapping Technician | Employer: Green Diamond Resource Company | Location: Korbel, CA

"The high-quality practical learning experience afforded to each student of HSU’s Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Analysis is a true blessing. Each instructor has a wealth of knowledge across an amazing variety of subjects, and they will share it with anyone who is willing to seek it. I apply knowledge and skills gained while attending HSU every day in my professional and personal life. Take advantage of the resources offered by the program…and share them with the rest of the world."

Massimo Lambert (2018)

Position: Freelancer/Consultant | Employer: N/A | Location: Sebastopol, CA

"HSU Geography taught me the importance of community, in academics and life. Having such a tight-knit group of hardworking peers and knowledgeable professors at HSU has defined the way I approach political organizing work with San Francisco Rising and the Sunrise Movement Bay Area, as well as the storytelling workshops I facilitate with Storycenter. My GIS and cartography skills have translated into permaculture designs for Black-owned farms in rural Mississippi, and I have found that my education continues to define the way I see the world and my passion to make positive change."

Nathaniel A. Douglass (2017)

Position: Geography Master's Student | Employer: University of Oregon | Location: Eugene, OR

"With my Geography degree I’ve been able to work for a handful of great companies, and I was able to create my own business doing freelance cartography. I’m currently working on some amazing projects in the Cascades of Oregon all while pursuing a master’s degree in Geography at the University of Oregon. My time at Humboldt State has given me the opportunity to work in some amazing places with some amazing people. I owe much of my success to the dedicated faculty in the Geography Department at HSU!"

Monica Moreno-Espinoza (2016)

Position: Research Data Analyst II (GIS) | Employer: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) | Location: Sacramento, CA

"HSU Geography and its faculty fostered immense growth in me as a researcher. They challenged, guided, and inspired me to go above and beyond what I thought I could do. Until recently working in Eureka as a GIS Analyst in the division of Right of Way Engineering for Caltrans, I utilize my research and GIS skills to analyze data from old maps and deeds to meet my division's needs. I recently transferred to Sacramento, where I support the Caltrans linear reference system and performing analysis of project impacts to the surrounding environment. I am excited for this new chapter in my life and am forever grateful to HSU Geography."

Erik C. Kenas (2016)

Position: Geographer | Employer: US Fish and Wildlife Service | Location: Arcata, CA

"As a Geographer (GS-0150), I support Biologists and Botanists with spatial data to make decisions about species conservation. Geography's strength, to me, is that it understands physical science does not provide every solution. Geography's concern with the both the physical Earth and aspects of human culture can allow for more informed decision-making regarding human's use of resources."

Nick Burdine (2016)

Position: Park Ranger / Returned Peace Corps Volunteer | Employer: Bureau of Land Management | Location: Butte, MT

"Humboldt Geography instilled in me a sense of exploration and curiosity. At HSU, I learned how to ask meaningful questions about the world around me and how to use physical, cultural, and political landscapes to answer those questions. The professors at HSU challenged students not just to study the material, but to engage with it, understand it, and experience it firsthand."

Cristina Bauss (2016)

Position: Office Technician | Employer: California Conservation Corps | Location: Fortuna, CA

"Stay up all night making maps. Learn how to program. Find good internships. Go on lots of field trips. Get to know your professors and talk to them often. HSU Geography and GIS faculty are incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and accessible. And when you leave…go explore the world. Why else did you become a Geography major?"

Sarah Serbin (2015)

Position: Global IT Communications Coordinator | Employer: Karl Storz Endoskope SE & Co. KG | Location: Los Angeles, CA

"HSU Geography helped me develop a global mindset and necessary skillset to adapt in a rapidly changing environment. The mixture of technical and critical thinking skills gained from this degree provides a unique perspective, which can be used to your advantage. Pursue an interest, or a few, never stop learning and lava what you do."

Albert Gonzalo Bautista (2015)

Position: Geospatial Technical Program Manager I | Employer: Uber | Location: Palo Alto, CA

"HSU Geography gives you access to a community that will help you grow your interests and professional career. Geography provides a unique set of concepts, theories, and methods that lead to developing a dynamic array of skills that apply to various career paths in government, technology, and more! It was my training at HSU Geography that provided me with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle a career starting as a GIS Data Analyst, then promoted to Technical Program Manager at Uber."

Kristopher Anderson (2015)

Position: Development Lead | Employer: Alpine Land Information Services | Location: Bend, OR

"HSU gave me the foundational skills in Geographic Information Systems I needed to launch my career. This led me to not just GIS but project management and software development. Currently I am leading a team of programmers to create an entirely proprietary GIS. Understanding geography has changed my life. Human behavior and physical science are brought together to describe our world. This foundational knowledge has helped me professionally and privately to grow and succeed at many pursuits."

Lucia "Sunflower" Wittenberg (2014)

Position: Agriculture Marketing Specialist / Returned Peace Corps Volunteer | Employer: USDA | Location: N/A

"The professors of the HSU Geography department showed me a true map of the world. From that map I learned that a place is not just space on a map. And a map is not just a projection of space, but rather another lens through which history, nature, and culture can be understood and explored. HSU Geography inspired me to chart my own map of the world."

Emanuel Delgado (2014)

Position: Tenure-track Geography Faculty | Employer: Reedley College | Location: Reedley, CA

"HSU Geography professors will open many doors for you. Work hard at your craft. Develop your research interests and skills. GIS is a growing field, take full advantage of that training. Visualize what you want, write down your goals, and do it! Disregard obstacles, believe in yourself. Have a strong grounding with family, peers, and a higher power. Love yourself and don’t stop moving forward."

Jesse Vad (2014)

Position: Reporter / Graduate Student | Employer: CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism | Location: New York, NY

"The HSU Geography department taught me how to analyze and read landscapes, study relationships between people and place and ultimately led me to my current career path. I’m at an advantage in the field of journalism purely because of those skills I learned at HSU. I’m still in touch with my professors who, years later, continue to guide and mentor me."

J Hailey Lang (2014)

Position: Regional Planner | Employer: San Joaquin Council of Governments | Location: Stockton, CA

"My geography degree has directly affected my success as a planning professional. Many planning managers only hires planners with both geography and planning backgrounds, mostly because they make versatile and well-rounded planners. The reasoning for this is that planners that have studied geography have a great understanding of spatiality and regionalism. I have been able to utilize my coursework and research from HSU to analyze and solve in the planning challenges."

Sara Matthews (2014)

Position: Program Coordinator | Employer: Tahoe Resource Conservation District | Location: South Lake Tahoe, CA

"Joining the Humboldt State Geography program is one of the best decisions that I’ve made. The mentorship and support that I received at HSU helped me develop critical thinking skills that undoubtedly have allowed me to succeed – both in my graduate education and in my career. In addition to GIS and cartography, my job calls for a nuanced understanding of the complex issues that surround land management and conservation. There is nothing better for this than Geography. Being a Geographer has honed my ability to understand the world around me; for that I am forever thankful."

Paul Castaneda (2013)

Position: Utility Forester (GIS) | Employer: CN Utility Consulting | Location: Los Angeles, CA

"I encourage current Geography students to establish an academic rapport with your professors, seek out internships, and get involved in research and clubs affiliated with the department. Put your passions to work. I enjoyed my first few jobs after graduation—and I have my studies at HSU Geography to thank for it—because they allowed me to travel throughout California while getting paid and earning relevant work experience. Don’t shy away from opportunities in your career—I got my first internship at Sequoia National Park from networking with a fellow Geography student. Gathering as many skills and building a professional network makes you a versatile candidate for the next step in your career."

Aaron Taveras (2012)

Position: GIS Program Manager | Employer: Nevada Division of Forestry | Location: Carson City, Nevada

"I truly enjoyed my time in HSU Geography and have fond memories of the people and experiences that made my education so valuable. The skills and connections I made at HSU have allowed me the opportunity to do what I love in my career, and I wish HSU Geography all the best."

Kirsten Ray (2012)

Position: Program Analyst | Employer: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | Location: Portland, OR

"Being part of the HSU Geography Department means being immersed in a strong community of passionate people. The connections I made in this department are certainly lifelong. I’ve been able to use my Geography degree in many ways—primarily as a valuable lens through which to view the world. I am thankful and grateful to the department faculty who went above and beyond their roles as mentors. They ensured an incredible education and supported me in my continued academic and professional endeavors."

Yang Yang (2011)

Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Employer: Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore | Location: Singapore

"HSU Geography opens up many new possibilities for students to become critical thinkers. Professors and students, with a wide range of academic background and interests, collaborate to foster an inclusive learning environment. The ability to understand differences and to thinking about them in a relational way will benefit the students in the long term."

Aylsia Ballinger (2010)

Position: Conservationist II / Public Service Conservation Coordinator | Employer: California Conservation Corps | Location: Ukiah, CA

"I am a Conservationist II for the California Conservation Corps and serve as a Public Service Conservation Coordinator in Ukiah, California. I hold an MA in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training with a focus in Program Management and Development and a BA in Geography from Humboldt State University, with a minor in Natural Resources, Planning and Interpretation. After graduating from HSU in 2010, I joined the US Peace Corps and served in Malawi as a Community Based Natural Resource Manager from 2011-13. After studying the elements of Geography and putting theory to practice in the Peace Corps, this solidified for me that human and environmental rights go hand in hand and serving the needs of both is imperative to a healthy existence. I feel lucky to have a career which allows me to work at the cornerstone of human development California Conservation and environmental conservation."

Danielle Tijerina (Kreuzer) (2010)

Position: PhD Student | Employer: Colorado School of Mines | Location: Golden, CO

"The HSU Geography Department helped shape me not only as a professional, but as a human. The department was a truly cohesive community, where we were encouraged to push our educational limits and explore beyond our learned perspectives. In particular, my experience in the China and Tibet program with Tony Rossi influenced me in ways I never thought possible and has continued to inspire me to have a more open and inquisitive worldview."

2000s

Cassandra Hansen (2006)

Position: Environmental GIS Faculty | Employer: Johns Hopkins University | Location: Baltimore, MD

"Small-sized classes combined with instructors who are passionate about Environmental Science, GIS, and Geography is what you can expect at HSU. I could not believe how many undergraduate opportunities were available to me as an HSU Geography/GIS major. From mapping and surveying mountains in Alaska to patrolling the backcountry of Devil’s Postpile National Monument. Take advantage of all these opportunities and keep your mind and heart open. Never stop searching for the Why of Where in every aspect of your life."

Jill Beckmann (2006)

Position: Lead Ecological Forester | Employer: Lomakatsi Restoration Project | Location: Ashland, OR

"Through her work with tribal governments, Jill's recent work has focused on revitalizing relationships between human communities and the natural landscape by facilitating the removal of encroaching conifer trees and reinstatement of cultural and prescribed fire practices in landscapes that have been shaped by natural and anthropogenic fire for millennia. She recently joined the team at Lomakatsi Restoration Project in Ashland, Oregon as their Lead Ecological Forester where she will continue to work collaboratively with tribal governments, state and federal agencies, and other non-profit entities to achieve these goals."

Kevin McManigal (2006)

Position: Lecturer in GIS/Cartography | Employer: University of Montana | Location: Missoula, MT

"As a geographer, a cartographer, and a human being, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Department of Geography at Humboldt State University. My degree laid the foundation for a career in academia, not only with highly specialized skills in Geographic Information Science, but also with a deep understanding of our complex cultural and physical environment. Beyond the classroom, my professors were caring mentors that became life-long friends. They continue to inspire and support me both professionally and personally. I am fond of telling young people, ‘Journey to the coast and become a Lumberjack. You can’t go wrong!’"

Dr. Denielle Perry (2006)

Position: Water Resource Geographer | Employer: School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University | Location: Flagstaff, AZ

"Like so many others, I didn’t know I was a geographer until I took a class in Human Geography. HSU Geography professors provided me with the inspiration and education I needed to pursue my long-term career goals. As a geographer you will be uniquely positioned to think in systematic ways across scales to solve some of the most pressing social and environmental problems of our times."

Joel E. Correia (2004)

Position: Assistant Professor | Employer: Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida | Location: Gainesville, FL

"I began to understand how geographic inquiry helps reveal roots of social and environmental injustice—and can change them through the department’s field trips to local sites of social-environmental change later on a summer field research trip to China and Tibet with Rossi. HSU Geography courses and applied experiences enabled me to build the skills needed to pursue activism, work in international development and later a PhD in Geography. I now use those skills in my research and teaching at University of Florida. Yo no creo en fronteras (I don’t believe in borders/boundaries), in part because of the support and education I gained at HSU."

Kim Redding (2002)

Position: Accountant | Employer: N/A | Location: Portland, OR

"After a cultural geography course I took in my early days at HSU, I quickly changed my major to learn about different cultures around the world. My Geography education changed the way I see the world – and how I saw myself in it. I was fortunate enough to take part in the Tibet/China Field Studies Program in 2001, and through this experience, I learned the invaluable skill of how to be a traveler. I developed a global perspective, experienced diversity like never before, and instilled in myself a bold curiosity and confidence about travel that will always be with me. Whether traveling with family or solo, the skills I learned and the experiences I had through HSU’s Geography program sparked a life-long love of travel."

1990s

Daniel Dempsey (1999)

Position: Lecturer of Geographic Sciences | Employer: College of the Redwoods | Location: California

"Fighting wildland fire in northern California in my late teens, I was given an opportunity to visit HSU’s campus and determined from that moment forward to eventually come back. After a lengthy career in natural resources management and protection, I pursued geography academically at the University where I was given countless opportunities to transition my skill set into the field professionally. I can only begin to relate how geographic studies have enabled me to appreciate the dynamics of this planet and the human experience of which we are all a part."

Dr. Timothy Karas (1992)

Position: Superintendent/President | Employer: Mendocino College | Location: Ukiah, CA

"The HSU Geography program provides the opportunity for you to understand the complex connectivity of people and places, explore relationships between the physical environment and society, and visualize the spatial organization of humanity. Geography will ground you in any field or career you choose to pursue."

Cynthia Lynn Tarwater (1991)

Position: Project Coordinator | Employer: Trinity County Resource Conservation District | Location: Weaverville, CA

"I’m still living in Trinity County, Big Bar, California. Still working as Project Coordinator at Trinity County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD) based in Weaverville. I’ve been there since 1993. My primary tasks include watershed restoration/sediment reduction work related to roads, road improvement, and road decommissioning projects on USFS, BLM and private lands. The TCRCD is a Special District and 100 percent grant funded. My favorite Geography teacher was John Harper, RIP. And my buddy Geography counselor: Joe Leeper."

1980s

Brian Millar (1982)

Position: President | Employer: Land Logistics, Inc. | Location: Davis, CA

"The broad range of education I received as an HSU Geography major in the natural sciences, along with the technical skills I learned and courses I had with an emphasis on human influences on the land, have served me especially well in my professional career as a land planner."